Automotive vehicle brake shoe assemblies in which the assembly friction material or shoe lining element is secured to the shoe lining support element by readily removable, non-rivet fasteners are well-known in the automotive vehicle braking system arts. See for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 1,934,448 issued to Roth for a teaching of a brake shoe lining having dovetail pockets and separately fastened lining retention plates that co-operate with the lining dovetail pockets.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,361,307 granted to Merritt also discloses a removable brake shoe lining but with metallic retention clips situated in the lining face and having integral legs which project through co-operating slot openings in the assembly lining and lining support elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,360 issued to King et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,285 issued to Gatlin each discloses a brake shoe construction in which both the brake shoe lining support and the friction material lining element are made removable.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,909 granted to Shim teaches a roadside-repairable brake construction in which both the brake friction material and the shoe support for the friction material are made readily removable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,942 issued in the name of Krumm, St. discloses a roadside-repairable brake construction in which the preformed brake friction material is secured to the brake shoe table element by both fixed wedge clips and removable wedge clips, the removable wedge clips being limited to non-rotational movement.
France Patent No. 757,380 issued in the name of Bordoni discloses a brake shoe construction that is essentially cumulative with respect to the showing of the above-discussed U.S. Patent issued to Krumm, Sr.
France Patent No. 760,231 issued to Treherne also discloses the use of fixed wedge-like surfaces to accomplish a friction material hold-down function but does not develop friction material wedge hold-down as a consequence of forces applied laterally with respect to the brake shoe table element.
France Patent No. 2,003,074 granted to Girling Limited discloses the use of removable clips for retaining the friction material of a brake shoe assembly on the brake shoe table element but makes no suggestion of a wedging action to create downward clamping forces.
Although the known brake assembly constructions make use of both fixed and movable wedge surfaces to both retain and clamp the friction material element both on and against the included brake shoe table element, none of the prior art constructions disclose and arrangement wherein a retainer clip is rotated relative to the brake table during installation and in a manner whereby the friction material is additionally urged downward against the table surface by the side retainer clips during tightening of the removable side retention clips.
Other objectives and advantages associated with the present invention will become apparent during a careful consideration of the details which follow.